Massachusetts man charged with cyberstalking conservative podcaster Katie Miller

A Massachusetts man has been arrested and indicted for cyberstalking the conservative podcaster and former political adviser Katie Miller, following what prosecutors described as a relentless campaign of abusive phone calls and text messages.

John Anthony Proia III, 41, of Waltham, was arrested on Thursday and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston. Federal prosecutors allege that between August and September this year, Mr Proia targeted Mrs Miller, her husband — White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller — and her parents with more than 40 hostile communications.

According to the Department of Justice, Mr Proia used internet-based calling applications to constantly change his phone number, masking his identity while making late-night calls and leaving threatening voicemails. The calls were allegedly made in a menacing, expletive-laden tone.

The indictment also details deeply personal messages sent to Mrs Miller’s parents. In one text to her mother, Mr Proia allegedly called Stephen Miller 'evil' and Mrs Miller a 'creature', adding: 'My god, how can you be proud of this filth?' Another text to her father asked: 'Hope your daughter marrying a Jewish Nazi/white supremacist is working out for you... Did you raise her to be trash or did that just happen naturally?'

Internal FBI fallout

The arrest follows recent turmoil within the FBI over how the case was handled. Two senior counterterrorism agents at the bureau's Washington Field Office were recently demoted and reassigned. Sources told Bloomberg that the reassignments came after the Millers complained that federal investigators were moving too slowly on the harassment case.

Darren Cox, the assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, confirmed the personnel changes but described them as routine decisions based on 'our constant evaluation of mission needs.' He denied that the move was directed by FBI Director Kash Patel.

Previous threats

This is the second time Mrs Miller has sought law enforcement intervention over targeted harassment. Last year, she complained to local and federal authorities about an activist, Barbara Wien, who distributed flyers near the Millers' home in Arlington, Virginia. The flyers featured Stephen Miller’s photo on a 'Wanted' poster for 'crimes against humanity' and included their home address.

That investigation eventually stalled after a judge twice rejected search warrants for Ms Wien’s phone, and state prosecutors found no grounds for criminal prosecution. The safety concerns from those protests prompted the Millers to move their family into military housing.

Following Mr Proia's arrest, Mrs Miller posted a statement on X thanking Attorney General Todd Blanche, US Attorney Leah Foley, and the FBI's Washington Field Office. 'Good to see a Boston grand jury indict this man,' she wrote.

Mr Proia was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday afternoon. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.